Earth

Earth, cradle of humanity, primary source of all biomass in the solar system.

And allegedly the only place to get a steak that doesn't taste of vacuum irradiation. The current world population is booming and rates in the 21.3 billion range, with the prospect of off world colonies and the continual need for workers and personnel in all the space industries most people leave earth either in their early teens or after a few years of service. Currently the United Nations as was has been replaced with the United Worlds Council still an infant organisation but allowing both off world orbitals and colonies as well as corporate entities to sit as members.

There are five main power blocks currently, after the second American civil war the continental North American states is split into two major powers the North American Union (comprising the old northern US states of Washington, Montana, north and South Dakota, Oregon,Idaho, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, the New England states, Pennsylvania, Alaska and the former Commonwealth country of Canada) the Confederated states of America (the old southern us states, plus Mexico Belize, Cuba, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa rica, Haiti and panama)

The African Caucus (including the amalgamated gulf states) The Pan Asian united people's state (Sino-Russia, china, Japan and south east Asia) and federated Europe ( western-Russia, the European states, turkey, the 'stans and India)

Individual countries are still in existence and a lot of them retain their old cultural identities but the economic metals crash of the belt crunch, triggered a lot of banding together to weather the financial storm.

The earth has recently completed its space elevator, The Beanstalk as its affectionately known can ferry 400 passengers or 100 tons per hour into orbit and operates continually 365 days a year, total journey time is about 20 hours from tip to base. There's a complex customs and excise procedure to go through but then the whole of earth is open to your adventures.

Law levels remain very high and quite restrictive on earth especially personal privacy, at any one time you may be being observed by no fewer than 6 cameras or observation devices.